Friend of the Court Brief Filed in the United States Supreme Court To Protect Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers From Harassment by the New Jersey Office of Attorney General
As summer unofficially winds down, I want to bring you up to speed on one of the major legal battles facing the pro-life movement this fall.
In 2023, under the direction of Attorney General Matt Platkin, the Office of the Attorney General issued a subpoena demanding the ministry partner list of First Choice Women’s Center—a Christian pro-life pregnancy center. This unprecedented move came without any legal justification: no criminal investigation, no consumer complaints, and no legitimate basis for such an invasive breach of privacy. It’s a direct challenge to First Amendment protections and a troubling example of government overreach.
That is why this past Monday, August 25, New Jersey Family Policy Center in partnership with Pacific Justice Institute filed an Amicus Brief (friend of the court brief) to the Supreme Court of the United States, which is set to hear First Choice v. Attorney General Platkin this fall.
The Court’s ruling will determine whether a lower federal court must take up the case—and ultimately affirm that Attorney General Matt Platkin’s subpoena violates First Choice’s federally protected constitutional rights.
Our Amicus Brief makes the case that since taking office, AG Platkin has repeatedly used his position to target political and ideological opponents—even when no laws were broken.
You may not be aware, but AG Platkin has come under fire from both sides of the political aisle for going after people who don’t share his views. He’s even told lawmakers that his team will take legal action not just when someone breaks the law, but also when someone gets “hurt.” The problem? His definition of “hurt” seems to be based on personal opinion—not on actual laws passed by the legislature. This gives him cover to use his office not to uphold the law, but to weaponize it against those he disagrees with!
For example, some of the legal actions initiated by Attorney General Matt Platkin have been used to intimidate pro-life organizations and erode local authority from elected school boards. This constitutes a serious misuse of taxpayer-funded resources. Therefore, the U.S. Supreme Court should consider the growing bipartisan public criticism of Attorney General Matt Platkin’s conduct and the implications of his failure to impartially carry out his official duties.
As this case heads to the U.S. Supreme Court, we’re calling on leaders from all sides to take a stand against the misuse of public power. What happens here won’t just affect New Jersey. It’ll set the tone nationwide for whether diverse beliefs are welcomed or silenced in the public square.
